Ascension Day

Xu Ying paced back and forth, pondering. "Nuo Masters only have a lifespan of two to three hundred years. Forget Longevity, they can't even outlive demons. So, what exactly is the problem?"

Da Zhong and Yuan Qi were also completely stumped.

Suddenly, Xu Ying's eyes lit up. He looked at Zhu Chanchan and asked, "Grand Ancestor Chanchan, how do you refine the Immortal Elixir?"

Da Zhong and Yuan Qi instantly understood the key point. The short lifespan of Nuo Masters must mean their method for refining the Immortal Elixir was flawed. Since Zhu Chanchan could refine it and lived for so long, her method had to be the right one!

If they could learn Zhu Chanchan's alchemy method, they could solve the Nuo Masters' lifespan problem and greatly extend their lives!

Zhu Chanchan asked warily, "You want to eat me too?"

Xu Ying smiled. "We will protect you and keep the Celestial Demons from eating you. In return, you will teach me your alchemy Cultivation Technique."

Zhu Chanchan hesitated for a moment. "You'll have to protect me first. I'll teach you the Cultivation Technique after I've recovered some of my Cultivation and can defend myself. That way, you won't just refine me into an elixir and eat me the moment you get the technique."

Xu Ying said, "Give me half of it first."

Zhu Chanchan's eyes flashed fiercely. BANG! She punched Da Zhong. "Are you trying to bargain with me, your Grand Ancestor?"

The punch sent a loud DONG reverberating through Da Zhong, and a crack appeared on its Bell Wall. It cried out in a panic, "I'm cracking! Ying! Agree to her terms, quickly, agree to them!"

Zhu Chanchan shouted, "Are you scared yet?"

Xu Ying's expression was righteous and fearless. "Lord Qi once said, 'The mighty cannot be swayed by force...'"

BANG! Zhu Chanchan threw a punch at Yuan Qi, shouting, "So you're the one who said it?"

Yuan Qi collapsed from the punch, his body knocked stiff. He gasped weakly, "That was Mencius... not me..."

Zhu Chanchan shouted, "Then bring Mencius out here! I'll have a go with him!"

Xu Ying said flatly, "You hit Lord Zhong and Lord Qi, so you're clearly impressive. Why don't you try hitting me?"

Zhu Chanchan glared at him viciously, then suddenly threw two more punches at Da Zhong. BANG! BANG! The cracks all over its body burst open. It hastily cried out, "I'm cracking again! Ying, don't provoke her! This girl is ferocious! If you agree to her terms, I'll stop stealing your Qi Blood!"

Xu Ying's expression remained unchanged. "Zhu Chanchan, you seem incredibly powerful, but you're actually just putting on a brave front. You don't have much Cultivation left. You're just using clever tricks. Try hitting me. I won't fight back."

Enraged, Zhu Chanchan leaped up and slammed two punches into Xu Ying's chest. BANG! BANG! Xu Ying didn't move an inch.

Zhu Chanchan gritted her teeth, unleashing a torrent of fists and feet that rained down on Xu Ying with a series of loud THUDS. Yet, Xu Ying remained completely unharmed. Suddenly, the little girl sat on the ground, her hands and feet trembling in pain, and burst into tears with a loud "WAAAH!"

The force of the impacts had made her hands swell up fat and round, too pained to hit anyone, and her feet were puffy and swollen too.

Yuan Qi and Da Zhong stared blankly, not understanding what had just happened.

Xu Ying walked over and gently massaged Zhu Chanchan's hands to get her Qi Blood flowing again. Then he took off her shoes and did the same for her feet to clear the stagnation.

Zhu Chanchan's hands gradually returned to normal. Dejectedly, she said, "How did you see through me? It's true, I don't have much Cultivation left. I could hit those two because I used to be a Celestial Artisan who refined Magical Treasures for Emperor Zhou. I'm good at hitting Magical Treasures, but not people."

Yuan Qi wondered to himself, 'Why could she hit me, then? Could it be...'

Zhu Chanchan's face fell. "My Cultivation was burned away by the Douluo Immortal Fire. I have no way to protect myself. I just escaped that sea of fire, and I don't know anyone but you. I'm so scared now. I'm afraid that the moment I step outside, someone will capture me for alchemy..."

She looked up at Xu Ying, her eyes welling with tears. "I'm very fragrant right now. Sniff me if you don't believe it."

Xu Ying took a sniff. There was indeed a peculiar fragrance coming from her, one that stirred the appetite. This exotic scent must be the fragrance of an Immortal Elixir.

Looking pitiful, Zhu Chanchan gazed up at him and whispered, "Once I complete my refinement, I'll grow up. I'm very beautiful, you know. You'll definitely like me..."

Xu Ying was unmoved. "Give me half."

Seeing that he was completely unyielding, Zhu Chanchan wanted to act tough again but knew she couldn't scare him. Defeated, she said, "Fine, I'll give it to you."

She stood up and, with two quick punches, BANG! BANG!, repaired the cracks on Da Zhong. Yuan Qi, who had taken one of her punches, found his injuries were suddenly healed. He scrambled to his feet and asked with a grin, "Grand Ancestor Chanchan, why were you able to heal me?"

Zhu Chanchan said, "I was a Celestial Artisan who refined Magical Treasures for Emperor Zhou. You have the characteristics of a Magical Treasure."

Yuan Qi took out a brush and paper. He froze upon hearing this. 'I refined myself into a Magical Treasure? When did that happen? How come I don't know?'

Zhu Chanchan quickly wrote out a Technique. It was only a little over a hundred characters long. Xu Ying took it and read it, his heart stirring. He hurriedly took out the *Jianggong Yue Moon Furnace Tripod Skill* and compared the two.

Zhu Chanchan's Magic Skill for refining the Immortal Elixir was ninety percent similar to the opening of the Crescent Furnace Cauldron Skill. Out of the hundred-plus characters, over ninety were identical, with only the word order being slightly different!

Xu Ying's gaze was like lightning as it fell upon Zhu Chanchan. "Zhu Chanchan, who else is in your sect?"

Zhu Chanchan was startled by his expression. "Why are you being so fierce?"

Xu Ying quickly softened his tone and asked with a gentle smile, "Who else is in Grand Ancestor Chanchan's sect?"

Zhu Chanchan shot him a glare. "My master died long ago. My eldest senior brother went to the Other Shore three hundred years before I did, but I couldn't find him when I got there. He probably burned to death. I had other senior brothers and sisters, but many of them died on the way to the Other Shore. Even if they didn't die en route, they were burned to death by the Douluo Immortal Fire. After they left, I became the Sect Leader, but I only had one junior brother under me. When I left, he was still young, and his Cultivation was not high."

Xu Ying pushed the Crescent Furnace Cauldron Skill in front of her. "Could this be the work of your junior brother?"

Surprised, Zhu Chanchan hastily skimmed the Crescent Furnace Cauldron Skill. She pondered for a moment. "It looks a bit like his handwriting, but we haven't seen each other in a very long time. My junior brother didn't have an Immortal Elixir, so it's impossible for him to still be alive."

Yuan Qi added from the side, "What if Nuo Immortals *were* his Immortal Elixir?"

Zhu Chanchan fell silent.

Xu Ying picked up a brush and made some slight alterations to the Crescent Furnace Cauldron Skill, correcting the jumbled and misplaced phrases and filling in the gaps. A moment later, he activated his Taiyi Guiding Skill again to circulate the Crescent Furnace Cauldron. He felt a subtle change in the Heart Power that surged from his Jiang Palace.

The change was minuscule, but Xu Ying felt a refreshing fragrance emerge from his Heart Chamber and flow throughout his entire body.

'This is the true Immortal Elixir!'

Xu Ying sent someone to fetch Guo Xiaodie and handed her the modified *Jianggong Yue Moon Furnace Tripod Skill*. "I've revised this Cultivation Technique," he said. "Have your family's Elder cultivate according to this version. It can extend his life."

Guo Xiaodie was utterly astonished.

Xu Ying smiled. "I have something important to take care of, so I won't wait for Elder Guo to return. Tell him to cultivate according to this revised technique and stay alive. Perhaps he can hold on until the day I unmask the mastermind behind all this. I hope that on that day, he can fight alongside me!"

Guo Xiaodie was shocked. "You want to leave the Divine Capital? Don't you know how dangerous it is for you to step outside the Guo Mansion right now?"

Xu Ying glanced at Zhu Chanchan and smiled. "If I leave her in the Guo Mansion, the Guo Mansion will be finished. Xiaodie, please help her prepare a few changes of clothes. I don't have any women's clothing here."

Zhu Chanchan said with the airs of an elder, "Little girl, prepare some adult-sized clothes for me. In a few days, I'll grow taller and bigger. Oh, and my chest is very large, so don't get anything small. Small ones won't fit."

Guo Xiaodie was dumbfounded. She shook her head and hurried away.

A short while later, Guo Xiaodie returned with some clothes—her own, which she wore daily. Zhu Chanchan held them up to her chest and commented, "A bit small. They'll definitely be a tight fit. But, they're barely acceptable."

Guo Xiaodie glared. "I'm still growing!"

Zhu Chanchan lifted Yuan Qi's jaw, stuffed the clothes into his mouth, and giggled. "That's what a lot of women think. But usually, they only get smaller."

Xu Ying had also changed into a fresh set of clothes, looking quite sharp. He tucked the Stone Axe into his belt and smiled. "Xiaodie, we met on the road, and on the road we shall meet again."

Guo Xiaodie composed herself and smiled. "The road ahead is perilous. Is the Xu Demon King confident?"

Xu Ying patted the small Stone Axe at his waist. "I'll just have to cut my way through."

A sense of heroic spirit surged through Guo Xiaodie. She shouted, "Open the gates! See Young Master Xu out—"

Zhu Chanchan followed behind Xu Ying. Da Zhong flew over and vanished into the back of Xu Ying's head. Yuan Qi slithered over, shrinking as he went, and leaped onto his shoulder.

The great gates of the Guo Mansion slowly swung open, and Xu Ying strode out.

The young man hesitated for a heartbeat. 'Once I take this step, I'll no longer have the protection of the Guo Mansion. The Divine Capital will likely be plunged into a storm of blood.'

Xu Ying's foot landed heavily. He was outside the Guo Mansion.

'Cloth robes and straw sandals, better than any horse. Who's afraid?'

'Returning, there is neither storm nor shine!'

'So on this journey, what does it matter if I carve a river of blood?'